Julien Flores
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Those who are truly authentic will give us insight into their real thoughts and feelings. They are expressive of their opinions and thoughts and stay true to their own beliefs. One form of media that demonstrates authenticity is the 2019 film Joker. This movie exhibits how a mentally ill individual can release their sinister side when faced with uncontrollable circumstances and being written off from society. As Arthur Fleck falls into the abyss of being written off from society due to his mental condition and he eventually stops trying to fit in with others, ultimately unveiling his joker persona to invoke fear and send to a message to the rich living in Gotham. He commits murder on TV and exclaims the only way for someone like him to finally be seen in a rich man’s society is to resort to crime. Ironically, while the joker persona can be seen as just a new performance by Fleck, this represents his real identity, which he hid away from others. When Fleck becomes the Joker, he uses his genuine feelings to fight the corrupt rich, which, in turn, portrays the idea that displaying our authentic side can be used to make an impact on society, whether good or bad. We are expected to adhere to civilization’s unspoken rules, but as audience members, seeing Arthur’s background and the hardships he goes through as a mentally ill human being somehow turns him into the protagonist, as we try to sympathize with all he deals with. Authenticity in our performance is important for our identity because expressing our most genuine ideas and thoughts allows us to be open with people and contribute what we want to society.
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Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbliHNs4q14&ab_channel=FlashbackFM (NSFW; blood)
“How about Another Joke, Murray?: Joker [Ultrahd, HDR].” YouTube, 30 Dec. 2019, https://youtu.be/WbliHNs4q14.